2005 Year in Review

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Panthers Parade Past Ponies

The Ponies had plenty of chances to win the game on Friday night, but shot themselves in the foot either by penalties (eight for 90 yards) or turnovers (two). The Erie-Prophetstown Panthers ran the ball right at the Ponies, and Morrison couldn't stop it. The Panthers gained all 229 yards on the ground to help take a 26-19 victory. With the loss, the Ponies dropped to 4-2 on the season, while suffering their first home loss of the season.

Erie-Prophetstown used their methodical offense to run the clock and eat up yardage on their opening drive. The Panthers used a ten-play, 68-yard drive that resulted ina four-yard touchdown run by Kyle Foltz. The two-point conversion was no good and the Panthers led 6-0, less than four minutes into the game.
Not to be outdone, the Ponies came right back with their own ground attack. Derek Hamstra and Tyler Hayes started the drive by combining to pick up eight yards. Derek Ward kept it alive on third down with a ten-yard scramble up the left sideline for a first down. Hamstra and Hayes worked together to pick another first down before Hamstra ran for a gain of ten and another first down. Matt Proud and Hayes brought up a third and one, but the Panthers stopped Hamstra on third down to bring up fourth and one. On fourth down, Proud charged straight ahead and punched it into the end zone from five yards away to cap the 11-play, 62-yard drive. Seth Ashpole added the extra-point and Morrison led 7-6 with just over a minute left in the quarter.
E-P set up with good field position on the ensuing kickoff thanks to a 40-yard return by Matt Pyse. The Panthers quickly began marching and were inside the Morrison thirty by the end of the quarter. Five plays into the second quarter, Pyse ran it in from six yards out to give E-P the lead. Foltz added the two-point conversion and Erie-Prophetstown led 14-7. Morrison was unable to score and Ethan Goodenough swung the field on the Panthers with a booming punt. The Pony defense held and forced a punt before they began driving the field.
Nate Vandermyde was the catalyst of the drive using his arm and his legs to keep the drive alive. Vandermyde connected with Dustin Jones on a twelve-yard gain to start the drive. Proud ran for ten yards before Vandermyde avoided the sack by dumping the ball to Proud for a 13-yard gain. Next, Vandermyde showed off his running ability to running for nine yards and taking it down to the one. Vandermyde scored on the next play on a quarterback sneak. Ashpole's extra point was no good and the Panthers held a 14-13 lead with 1:02 left in the half. That score would hold as the teams headed for halftime.
The Ponies put themselves in a hole early in the second half by turning the ball over on their first two possessions after an interception thrown by Vandermyde and a fumble by Ward. The defense held the Panthers and forced a punt on their first possession, but the Panthers finally started driving again late in the quarter. The Panthers used their ground game to eventually spring Foltz for a two-yard touchdown run. The extra point was no good and the Panthers led 20-13.
Vandermyde and Hamstra combined for 19 yards to start the drive on the ensuing possession, but the drive stalled form there and the Ponies would end up turning the ball over on downs. Following the quarter, the Panthers came right back and started eating up the clock. Twelve plays and 71 yards later, Tim Brutsman ran it in from two yards out to make it 26-13. The two-point conversion was no good and the Ponies looked to be in trouble with only 3:48 left to score twice.
Using the hurry up offense, Vandermyde quickly led the Ponies down field. Hamstra started the drive with a five-yard run. Vandermyde then found Goodenough for a gain of eight yards. Vandermyde found Goodenough again on the next play for a gain of nine yards. The big play on the drive came next, when Vandermyde sprinted out of the pocket and took off dodging Panthers for a gain of 23 yards before getting out of bounds. Vandermyde found Jones for an 11-yard gain on the next play to stop the clock again. Goodenough then hauled in the touchdown pass from two yards out just 1:38 after the drive started. The two-point conversion was no good and the Ponies trailed 26-19.
Jones' onside kick was on target, but hopped up and over the Panthers and flew out of bounds. However, the Ponies used their timeouts wisely and forced a punt with :58 remaining and 79 yards to cover. Vandermyde completed his first pass to Jones on the sidelines for a gain of eight yards before he got out of bounds. Unfortunately, the Panthers bulked up their pass coverage and didn't allow the Ponies to move any further, forcing a turnover on downs with just :29 left. The Panthers took a knee to ice the 26-19 victory.
Clint Shepard led the defense with 13 tackles followed by Nat Vandermyde with 10 tackles, Seth Ashpole and Matt Proud with nine tackles, Matt Urban with eight tackles, Derek Ward with six tackles, Ethan Goodenough and Derek Hamstra with five tackles, and Doug Mouw, Taylor Boyles, Jon Sumption, Will Vandermyde, and Michael Benson with one tackle.
Nate Vandermyde led the rushing attack with 58 yards on eight carries and one touchdown. Derek Hamstra managed 35 yards on eight carries Tylor Hayes gained 30 yards on six carries. Matt Proud carried five times for 28 yards and one touchdown, and Derek Ward had four carries for negative eight yards. Vandermyde was 8-13 through the air for 63 yards and a touchdown. Ward was 1-1 for 11 yards. Ethan Goodenough caught three passes for 19 yards and a touchdown. Dustin Jones caught three passes for 31 yards, and Matt Proud caught two passes for 24 yards.
The Ponies will next be in action next Friday night, October 7, when they travel to Fulton to take on the Steamers in the Wooden Shoe Bowl at 5:30 p.m.

by rustinl
2005-10-02 17:34:51